Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2019 | Page 111

Travel / Archipelago Journal
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2
4
1. Tourists enjoying a sunny
morning harbourside on
Pangempang Island.
2. Papan Island locals on the way
to a neighbouring island.
3. A Bajo woman with rice powder
on her face, from Kabalutan Island.
4. Cheerful Bajo children on
Kabalutan Island.
 s our boat pulled into the harbour, I was greeted by
A
the island’s children; they were very enthusiastic to
welcome visitors...
Between diving sessions, I visit the
island of Papan. As our boat pulled into
the harbour, I was greeted by the island’s
children; they were very enthusiastic
to welcome visitors, asking to have their
photos taken when I brought out my
camera. Not long afterwards, they showed
me around their village, with the adults
laughing at the children’s antics. I felt like
a guest of honour as the island children
held my hands and took me to greet the
other residents of Papan Island.
After the village, I was taken to Puncak
Batu Karang, the highest point on the
island, which offers stunning panoramic
views. From this height I noticed that
what I had first thought was a long pier
was not a pier after all, but a bridge to the
neighbouring island. It was an amazing sight
– almost a kilometre long, connecting Papan
to Malenge, standing above the shallow
sea, where fish can be seen darting
around between clumps of coral in
the crystal-clear waters.
The bridge is narrow, with only enough
space for two motorbikes to pass each other.
Several people were sitting and relaxing
at the edge, enjoying the cool afternoon
breeze, as children ran excitedly about.
Papan is one of the islands inhabited by
the Bajo people, traditionally known for their
nomadic boat-based lifestyle. While many
people in these communities no longer
move around, they continue their ancient
connection with the sea by building stilt
houses above the coral.
Before continuing, a cautionary note. The
drawback of visiting such a remote patch
of paradise is sometimes unreliable access
to phone signals and even basic services.
I saw several people using their mobile
phones at the top of Puncak Batu Karang,
holding their devices up in the air to find
a signal. After a bit of research, I found out
they were onto something – the island
doesn’t technically have a mobile phone
signal, but if you climb to the top of the hill
5
senses:
sight
Mariona Lake
E/ There are only a few lakes
around the world with jellyfish
that don’t sting, and Mariona is
one of them. Not far from the lake
is Karina Beach, a lovely stretch of
white sand where you can enjoy
coconut fresh from the tree.
I/ Danau dengan ubur-ubur tak
menyengat ini hanya ada
beberapa di dunia. Salah satunya
ada di kawasan Taman Nasional
Togean ini. Tak jauh dari danau,
ada juga pantai berpasir putih
bernama pantai karina. Tempat
ini cocok untuk makan siang
sambil menikmati air kelapa
segar langsung dari pohon.
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